Marlboro music staff present student performances, honor All-County selections and students of the month

At a Board of Education meeting, Marlboro Central School District music staff presented a short vocal performance, outlined music programming across the district and recognized students who earned spots in regional ensembles and other honors.

The presentation, given by Dr. Hu Corbett, music department chairperson, and several building music teachers, showcased the district’s band, chorus and general-music offerings and emphasized student participation. “March is Music in Our Schools Month, and we are super thrilled to be recognizing our all county students,” Dr. Hu Corbett said as staff invited student singers to the front for a short performance.

Why it matters: the presentation illustrated the scale of music participation across elementary, middle and high school and highlighted extracurricular pathways — from district ensembles to county and area honors — that teachers said support student academic and social skills.

Most of the district’s performing-music teachers described course options and participation rates. Zach Povall, elementary band teacher, said the district introduces band and chorus late in third grade and formally enrolls students in fourth grade; he said 82 fifth-graders were enrolled in band or chorus or both and that roughly 87 percent of fourth-graders participate in band and/or chorus. Susan Johnston, a general-music teacher at Marlboro Elementary School, described the six-day cycle general-music class and listed activities including recorders, keyboards and ukuleles. Sam Forrester, middle-school band director, said more than 62 percent of middle-school students participate in at least one performing ensemble and described weekly pull-out lessons for small-group and individual instruction. Eric Bronstein, the high-school band director, described concert band, wind ensemble and voice ensembles and said the district is launching a college-credit music-theory course through SUNY Ulster.

Teachers also described extracurricular ensembles and recent performances: the middle-school voice ensemble performed at Radio City Music Hall and for local events, a middle-school drama club will present Lion King Jr. on May 2–3, and high-school jazz and drama groups perform at community events such as the Blossom Street Festival. Forrester said students have had multiple informal performance opportunities this month, including seven performances within the middle-school building.

Staff recognized students who advanced to adjudicated events: music staff said 41 students from Marlboro Central School District earned selection to All-County ensembles across elementary, junior-high and high-school levels. The district also named students who advanced to Young Elementary Musicians Symposium (YEMS) — 11 students attended that event — and Area All-State, a regional selection across five counties. The board presentation invited students forward to receive certificates.

Separately, the board recognized students of the month at each level. Dr. Hu Corbett and Sam Forrester introduced Kirsten Droney as the middle-school student of the month. High-school band director Eric Bronstein (introduced later in the meeting as Mr. Braunstein in remarks about theater) introduced senior Heather Masterson as the high-school student of the month and described her contributions to band, theater and technical production. Elementary teachers presented fifth-grader Ronan Mackey as the elementary student of the month.

The Marlborough Faculty Association presented results from its Thousand Book reading program. MFA presenters said the program circulated 9,360 bags (9,360 books) from January 2024 to January 2025; they reported 1,610 checkouts so far this year and noted about 50 new families had enrolled since 2024. The MFA representatives recognized three students who completed the Thousand Book challenge.

The presentation closed with staff and the superintendent thanking families and volunteers for supporting music and extracurricular programs.

Looking ahead: teachers noted upcoming performances including All-County and Empire State Plaza appearances, and invited community attendance at concerts and school productions.